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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415696">i will drown (but only if we can't save each other)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaginary_Capable16/pseuds/Imaginary_Capable16'>Imaginary_Capable16</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jurassic Park - All Media Types, Jurassic Park Original Trilogy (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A lot - Freeform, Alan Grant needs a hug, Angst?, BAMF Alan Grant, Because I'm A Coward, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, I added more dinosaurs, I mean, Ian Malcolm is a sarcastic little shit, John Hammond means well, Lex screams, Raptors, Slow Burn, T-Rex - Freeform, Tim is wholesome, and don't know how to plot, and mental stability, are a pain in the ass, because why not, but not a lot, but we love him, don't we all, get yourself a wingman like Ellie, per usual, some violence, the lawyer still dies, they are on an island with meat-eating dinosaurs, yeah a little</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:09:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24415696</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaginary_Capable16/pseuds/Imaginary_Capable16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura Koli thinks bringing dinosaurs back from 65 million years ago is a horrible idea, especially the aquatic ones.<br/>But John Hammond did offer to pay for her next dive, and who is she to refuse free money? All she has to do is agree to at least consider the idea of Jurassic Park.<br/>Life always finds a way. Of screwing with you, that is.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alan Grant &amp; Lex Murphy &amp; Tim Murphy, Alan Grant (Jurassic Park)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Start of a Very Bad Idea (Plus a lot of Zeros)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm not sure how well this will do (I don't really care) and I don't know if I'll finish it (I really hope I do) but I recently watched Jurassic Park (1993) and the original crew owns my heart. I also saw there are no Alan Grant/Original Characters out there, and I'm disappointed (fine, I'll do it myself.) But I did want him to end up with Ellie, and JP3 was a crIME<br/>This will roughly follow the plot of the movie, but I did add some things because I'm bored with play-by-play fanfiction and need something new in my life. This takes place during the first movie (1993) and a wee bit of the third one (2001).<br/>Thank you for picking this up, best of wishes &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If Laura had three wishes right now, she'd want a better hotel, better gear, and more money. </p><p>Unfortunately, unless someone has a magic genie in a bottle, she was stuck with a room with a water leak, sub-par SCUBA gear, and minimal funding.  </p><p>The keycard to her room is streaked with dirt, the grey surface and the design of the hotel logo are smudged from too many fingers of too many humans. Laura takes the stairs again- the elevator makes suspicious noises and she'd rather not put her life in the hands of a machine that sounds like it's going to collapse if two or more people get on. </p><p>The journey to the fourth floor isn't a long one, but it feels longer somehow knowing that she just got turned down by <em>another </em>sponsor.  <em> He was an ass anyway,  </em>she tells herself, swiping the card. The scanner blinks green, and the door unlocks with a soft click. </p><p>She sighs, throwing her pack full of images and research papers on a chair and brushes a lock of hair out of her face. It's been a long day, she needs to be up early tomorrow, and sleep cannot come sooner. </p><p>That's when she notices that a man (who she <em>doesn't know)  </em>is sitting on the ratty couch against the wall. </p><p>He's holding a glass with an amber liquid, and another sits on the equally pitiful coffee table (at least her has the decency to use a coaster.) He's old, with a head full of white hair and a beard of the same color. His clothes are white too, and leaning against the arm of the couch is a cane. </p><p>Laura jumps, fumbling for something to defend herself with (though, she doubts he could do much harm.) "Uh, how did you get here?" </p><p>He laughs good-naturally, she's catching a fatherly feeling from him, maybe he's got kids, or grandkids, judging from his age. "My dear, it's a hotel, it's a public facility." </p><p>"Yeah, but how did you get <em> in my room?"  </em> She emphasizes, wrapping her hand around the TV remote.  <em> A fat lot of good that will do,  </em>she chastises herself silently. </p><p>"I asked politely," the man supplies, taking a sip from his drink. </p><p>Laura gives him a funny look, taking a step closer, swiveling her eyes to the packs of diving equipment stacked in the corner. From her vantage point, it looks like it's all there, no zippers have been opened, no pouches unfolded, and nothing out of place. </p><p>The old man chuckles kindly. "I have no intention of stealing your things, I merely want to talk." He stands, still holding his glass, and reaches out with the other hand. "John Hammond." </p><p>She eyes the symbolic olive branch with wariness but reaches out to shake it with her own. "Laura Koli." </p><p>He hums, sitting down again. "Yes, I know. Tell me," he adds, looking up at her with a smile. "You're familiar with fish, yes?" </p><p>Laura sits on the end of the low coffee table, nodding. "Depends on the kind of fish, but in general, yes. I have my specialties, why?" </p><p>He nods, seeming happy with her answer. "I have an island- a facility really- that could use someone of your expertise. There happens to be some, er, exotic fish I have in my possession, and I could use someone like you to determine their best living conditions. Some photos would be nice," he adds with another chuckle. </p><p>"Where is this island?" </p><p>He waves his hand, taking another sip of the drink. "Just off the coast of Costa Rica, about 200 miles. Does that mean you're interested? I can provide transportation- all paid for, don't you worry." He looks thrilled she's entertaining the idea. </p><p>Laura scratches her cheek and looks down. "I'm sorry, but I have to be up early tomorrow, I have a dive at sunrise." </p><p>John sets the glass down and reaches into the pocket of his shirt, pulling out a checkbook and pen. Laura's eyes widen a bit at the sight, but she holds her breath. "I can compensate you." </p><p>She smiles, tearing her eyes from the pen in his hand. It genuinely pains her to say no, he seems like a sweet man, and she hardly meets any more of them. "That's very kind of you, but I'm supposed to lead this team." </p><p>"It's also come to my attention you require funding future projects. Other dives and such, I hear there's an animal reserve in the making." </p><p>Laura stutters for an answer, not quite sure how he got that information. "That's true, yes, but I-" </p><p>He scribbles on the pad for a moment, then holds it up for her to see. The number has three zeros on the end, and Laura does the mental calculations in her brain. One-thousand dollars is a lot in retrospect, but it isn't enough to fund much. John must see her thinking because he adds another zero to the number. </p><p>Her eyes widen and John must see it because he smiles. Laura looks down again, thinking. "I- you're very generous, Mr. Hammond, but these are my people, we-" Laura breaks off as- without looking away from her face- John writes <em>another </em>zero on the end. Her eyes have got to be the size of dinner plates by now. </p><p>He smiles with no teeth, but it reaches his eyes, and they crinkle at the edges. "Could you reschedule?" </p><p>Laura stares at the thousands of dollars being offered to her and thinks about the possibilities. </p><p>And makes a decision. </p><p>"I'll make a few calls," she answers with a smile, standing from the table. "When do we leave?" </p><p>Hammond wants them to leave ASAP. Laura is fine with this. "I still have to call my people and find a date to reschedule this. Do I need to bring my equipment? How are we getting there?" He grunts as he uses his cane to haul himself to his feet. She winces, "Sorry." He chuckles deeply, opening the door to her room. Two men rush in, nodding politely to both of them, and each grabs one of her bags. Laura takes a step toward them. "Oi! Be careful with those!"</p><p>They pay her no mind, walking out of the room with her equipment over their shoulders John waves his hand as she stares at him incredulously. "That's alright dear, they're here to load the car. We're driving to an airstrip."</p><p>"You have a plane?"</p><p>He smiles. "A helicopter." Her jaw drops, and his smile grins. "Can I meet you downstairs in twenty minutes?" She nods silently, mouth still open. "Excellent."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It takes five minutes to pack up the rest of her personal things. She doesn't have much, most of her luggage is underwater equipment: cameras, tanks, weight belts, masks, a wetsuit, and other essentials. Traveling with the kind of gear she has is not lightweight, so she makes up for it in minimal personal items. </p><p>It takes another five minutes for <em>one </em>of her fellow divers to pick up the phone. She picks up on the fourth ring. "Hello?" Comes a groggy voice on the other end. </p><p>It's Sarah, someone she's been around for years. "Hey, Sarah, it's me." </p><p>"I figured," she says, followed by the rustling of sheets. "What's up?" </p><p>"Listen," Laura starts hesitantly, fidgeting with her fingers. "I'm so sorry to do this to you-" </p><p>"Oh no." </p><p>"-But something came up. Can you reach out to the other two? I've got to go in-" she checks her watch, "Eight minutes." </p><p>"<em> Where  </em>are you going?" </p><p>"Just a quick study, advising, if you will." </p><p>"Advising who?" </p><p>She just doesn't stop with the questions. "Some rich guy with an island again, says he's got exotic fish and wants to know what kind of environment they need to live in." </p><p>"Laura-" </p><p>"He's paying me. A lot." </p><p>A pause and she can tell Sarah is actually considering not yelling at her. "How much is a lot?" </p><p>"Five zeros." A wolf whistle on the other end. "Listen, I'll probably be back in a few days, it won't take long, and we've always talked about how we could use more funding, this is our shot." </p><p>Sarah sighs loudly, and Laura can practically hear her rubbing her temples. "Don't get killed, please be careful, and yes I'll call them." </p><p>She smiles, standing from the bed. "Thank you, I owe you." </p><p>"Dinner, you owe me dinner. A nice one too." </p><p>"Will do," and with that, she hangs up. </p><p>Walking into the front room again, she finds John standing in the doorway once more. He's smiling, leaning on his cane. All of her things have been taken downstairs, and all she's carrying is her meager, rolling case with clothes and toiletries. </p><p>"Ready, are we?" He asks, tilting his head toward the hallway. "Shall we?" </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Here, There are Dinosaurs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Hammond said he had a helicopter, Laura thought he might have been kidding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was not. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gets another worker of his to load her equipment onto the copter (Laura tells him to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>careful, it was expensive stuff, and Hammond says he'll pay for any damages. Is he made of money?) She tries to make conversation at first, but he can clearly see she's exhausted and tells her it's alright if she sleeps. "We're just picking up a few colleagues, we'll be there in no time." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laura quirks up an eyebrow. "Other divers? Marine biologists?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hammond shakes his head and chuckles. "Not quite." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She falls asleep soon enough, pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes and throwing on the pair of noise-canceling headphones Hammond offers her. She leans back in the seat, stretching her legs out in front of her. It may be un-ladylike, but she really doesn't care. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jet lag exhaustion works wonders and within minutes, she's sound asleep. (She's learned to sleep just about anywhere, stay on the sea for three months and it becomes clear pretty quickly that there's no five-star-hotel around. Sleeping in a helicopter is no different, and the noise-canceling headphones are an added blessing.) </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She must really be tired because she doesn't wake when the chopper touches down to pick up their fellow company. John seems to be a good man with a sense of manners, and she's thankful he doesn't rouse her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What does wake her, however, is the sensation of her stomach being left some dozens of feet above her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laura curses, ripping off her headphone and sitting up, wide-eyed. The roar of helicopter blades fills in the silence and she winces slightly at the sudden brightness. Her sunglasses help, but there's no stopping direct, tropical sunlight from being disorienting just a little. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John Hammond is sitting across from her, his hand halfway to her outstretched leg. It looks like he was about to wake her up, and when she meets his eyes, he smiles. "We're here, you sleep like the dead, my dear." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles, shrugging. "I tend to do that, sorry." The helicopter drops like a stone again, and Laura fumbles for something to hold onto. Looking out the window, she's met with a stunning, yet haunting-looking island. It's such a vibrant green that it almost looks edited, with the saturation bumped. The island not huge, she can still see the ocean from where they're beginning their descent, and eventually, the shore is obscured by cliff walls. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They're uncomfortable close. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The chopper hits another updraft before touching down on the landing pad with a soft thud. The blades slow, and someone runs underneath them to open the door. Hammond steps out first, Laura follows, and it's now she gets a good look at who else was in the helicopter with them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There's a wiry man in a suit with minimal hair holding a briefcase (he looks to stuck-up for her tastes), a man who looks like a rock star with phenomenal hair, and two people who look like they've been rescued from under a mound of dirt. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>John makes introductions for them as they walk toward two open-top Jeeps on a small, winding dirt road. "Doctor Malcolm is a mathematician," he says, gesturing to the rockstar with good hair. Laura shakes his hand as he gives her a once-over with mischievous eyes, winking when she lets go. "Doctor Sattler and Doctor Grant are Poleobotinists and Paleontologists, respectively," he adds, and the three of them shake hands. "Doctor Koli is a- what was it again dear?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laura smiles, greeting the other two with nods and a firm grip. "Biological Oceanographer." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both of them chuckle, and the woman says, "I don't know what that means." To someone who just walked in on the conversation, perhaps it sounds condescending, but to Laura, it comes out as good-natured and humoredly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She laughs. "It means I get to look at pretty fish." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone chuckles, even Hammond, who's nodding between them and ushering the trio to the pair of cars. The prissy man in the suit walks to the second one and Dr. Malcolm to the first. Hammond is still playing a tennis match with his eyes, bouncing between her and- who she assumes is- Dr. Grant. There's a hopefulness in his eyes like he wants her to recognize him. She doesn't. Laura doesn't meet many Palientoligists, and even if she did, they don't work in nearly the same field, there would be no reason to know one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She nods politely and smiles, and before she can head up front with Dr. Malcolm, the other two scientists walk side-by-side to what now looks like the fun car. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There's a crease between Hammond's eyebrows, as though he expected the four of them to be good friends within ten-seconds, but it fades so swiftly from his face, she might have imagined it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He gestures to the second Jeep with a flourish (the man in the suit has already taken shotgun) and she and John sit in the back. Thank God there's enough room for both of them to stretch out, and before Laura can even </span>
  <em>
    <span>find </span>
  </em>
  <span>the seatbelt, they pull off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's not until they roll down the winding road for a few minutes does it occur to Laura to wonder why John Hammond has a Paleontologist with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hammond talks with her for a few moments. "I'll send someone down to the helicopter to bring up your gear." Laura nods, thanking him, and she's about to ask why he has sceintists on hand who study extinct animals when a huge gate comes into view. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's metal, with thick wires crisscrossing through bars and at least thirty feet high. Fences spiral off to either side, and she catches a glance of a sign hanging off one of the posts, warning of high electrical voltage. There's a few of what looks like electrical insulators every few sections (she's not an electrician, so forgive her if she's wrong) and warning lights that strobe importantly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thirty-foot fence alone warrants a question or two, and the electrical voltage signs don't answer them, only beg for more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The man in the suit (now that she thinks about it, he looks sort of like a lawyer) and Hammond make conversation about them, and over the roar of the Jeep's engine, Laura catches a few words. Among them are 'perimeter', 'tracking', and 'motion sensors.' </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not comforting, and Laura again wonders why the hell Hammond (who said she was here to dive and photograph exotic fish) would need a tracking system. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They continue driving. Laura leans over the edge of the window and watches the ground whiz by, occasionally looking up to see trees and rocks and other landscaping things. She's not familiar with plants (unless they're ones that grow underwater) but she doesn't recognize the ones that fly by. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, the two cars come to a stop somewhere on the edge of a grassy field. Hammond gets out, walking over to the front Jeep, and Laura stays where she is. She's got no intention of running around on a jungle island. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She does, however, sit up straighter in her seat and lean out the gap that's supposed to be a window. The supposed lawyer is also surveying the land but out the other side of the Jeep. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laura looks on, investigating one of the trees close to their vehicle. Several of them are leafless- just as thick as the other ones, they're not dying, but they are grey and bare. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Odd, </span>
  </em>
  <span>she thinks, because one would think on a tropical island, trees wouldn't have a problem flourishing here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then she looks higher, like she's hoping to find some- even if it's only a little- kind of life on the tree that seems to have none. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And higher. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And higher. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And </span>
  <em>
    <span>then, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the revelation hits her like a train, because the lifeless tree isn't a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tree. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's a </span>
  <em>
    <span>leg. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Laura's mouth falls open as she looks even higher, above the treeline. "Oh, my God," she mutters quietly, yanking off her sunglasses and blinking rapidly (she's tempted to ask the lawyer- or hell, maybe their driver- if he would slap her.) </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Because there's not just one leg, there's </span>
  <em>
    <span>four. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And they belong to a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dinosaur. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It's enormously tall. Its neck makes up most of its body, stretching forty-some feet up into the air, and its mouth at the end of it chomps down on real trees, swallowing leaves by the dozens. Laura looks up in wonder, and she swears it looks back with a pleasant, easy gaze. If her brief childhood geekiness serves her right, the dinosaur looks like a Brontosaurus, a vegetarian (or an herbivore, whichever works.) For a creature that stands seven times taller than she does (and has got to weigh at least a few tons) it's pretty light on its feet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two Paleontologists in the front car are freaking out- and rightfully so. Laura can only imagine studying creatures that are </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be extinct, only to find one standing right in front of you. Hammond walks with them, looking like a proud parent showing off his kid. Doctor Malcolm remains in the Jeep, but he's admiring the creature, and so is the lawyer, because she hears him say reverently under his breath- "We're going to make a fortune." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Marine Biology and its subcategories- https://marinebio.org/creatures/marine-biology/: </p>
<p>Biological Oceanography- <br/>https://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-a-biological-oceanographer-do.htm</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Start of a Very Bad Idea | Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Laura is still trying to wrap her head around the fact there are <em> literal dinosaurs  </em>alive and well when the pair of Jeeps pull up to the main compound. </p><p>It's a large structure, with three buildings all connected by walkways and surrounded by a fence that's almost as high as the first one they drove through. Outside the barrier, the jungle beyond has been allowed to grow naturally, and she wonders what else is living out there. </p><p>Hammond leads them to the biggest of the three buildings. It's several stories tall, but its walls are unfinished, giving it a skeletal look. There's a glass dome in the center too, but the glass is foggy like it hasn't been polished in some time. </p><p>It's a half-finished home base, and Laura is skeptical, to say the least. </p><p>Two workers in identical uniforms (consisting of all khaki, gross) open a huge double door, encrusted with intricate designs of dinosaurs. </p><p>The lobby is unfinished, much like the rest of the building. It's got a high ceiling, and if Laura looks up, she can see the glass dome she noticed from outside. In the center of the room is a giant skeleton of a T-Rex, its mouth is open in a silent roar, and below it rests a smaller dinosaur, though she doesn't know what species. There are a few workmen on a crane, hanging up the rest of the fake-bones (or maybe they're real, she doesn't know, maybe she'll ask one of the Paleontologists.) </p><p>John walks the group of them up a winding staircase. He's chattering on about his park, which she guesses has even more dinosaurs than the ones they saw this morning. Dr. Malcolm is in the middle, eavesdropping, and she's stuck in the rear of the group with the lawyer. </p><p>Hammond leads them into a room with rows and rows of seats, like a mini-amphitheater. Laura guesses it's some kind of showroom for future investors, there's a huge screen that takes up the entire front wall, and John asks them to take a seat. </p><p>Laura makes a point not to sit with the Lawyer, and instead with the scientists. They seem to have the same idea because he's left on his own in the row behind the four of them. </p><p>Hammond makes his way to the front of the room as the screen jumps to life. A huge image of himself beams down on them and greets the real-life version of him. He fumbles with notecards in his hands and eventually, says he needs a drop of blood. "Relax John, it's all part of the miracle called 'cloning,'" the real John reassures. </p><p>The scientist- all four of them- look skeptical. "Cloning from what?" Dr. Grant asks his partner. "Loy extraction has never recreated an intact DNA strand." </p><p>"And where do you get Paleo-DNA from? What source? How do you find 100 million-year-old dinosaur blood?" </p><p>The lawyer from behind shushes them as Laura gains nothing from the conversation except more confusion. </p><p>Screen-Hammond is joined by an animated cartoon. It looks like a rough version of a DNA strand, and within moments, it over-shadows screen-Hammond. The real man sits down next to the lawyer and watches the show with the rest of them. </p><p>Laura watches as the animated character explains how Hammond managed to bring extinct dinosaurs back to life. The process is a little more complicated then she would like, but she follows closely enough to understand the majority of it. (Apparently, mosquitos were as much of a pain in the ass 100 million years ago as they are today.) </p><p>"This will have some better dramatic music- a march or something, but it's not written yet," says Hammond from behind them, and from the back of the seats in front of them, safety bars drop down onto their laps. Laura jumps, throwing up her hands, and the other Doctors do the same. </p><p>"It's for your own safety," he shouts as the floor underneath them shifts, and the room rotates. </p><p>A glass wall pans into view, and on the other side are dozens of other scientists dressed in white lab coats. 'GENETICS/FERTILIZATION/HATCHERY' reads in big, bold letters above them, and Laura notices a section in the back of the room that's entirely lit by ultraviolet light. </p><p>Laura's intrigued, after all, it's not every day she gets to see the process of cloning <em> extinct  </em>animals (yeah, that's still hard to get around.) The other scientists next to her seem equally interested, leaning forward and straining against the safety bars for a better look, but they keep moving. </p><p>They strain to look at the passing glass wall, but the ride continues with no intention of stopping. "Can you stop these?" Asks Dr. Grant, who looks physically pained with the idea of not getting a closer look. </p><p>Hammond shrugs and apologizes, and Malcolm, who seemed to guess that answer was coming, starts pushing up on the bars. The three of them join in, and with a mechanical <em> crank  </em>(that doesn't sound all too good,) they're free and rushing out the door. </p><p>The lawyer tries to stop them, but the attempt is half-hearted at best. </p><p>Laura is the first of the group to reach the locked door of the hatchery. She gingles the handle, cursing under her breath when it doesn't give way, and Dr. Grant throws his shoulder into it, but probably only gets a bruise. </p><p>Hammond walks up behind them, chuckling and convincing the lawyer that yes, it is alright for them to be curious. The four of them part like the Red Sea as Hammond punches in a series of numbers on a datapad next to the handle, and with a soft beep, it clicks open. </p><p>The hatchery is bigger when they're in the room, a vast space bathed in infrared light with long tables that run the length of the place, all with eggs. Their pale, white outlines are obscured by a low mist that seems to be everywhere. It's also humid, at least twenty degrees warmer than the room they just came from. </p><p>Laura stares as they walk down a small flight of stairs as technicians and more scientists walk from table to table, almost all of them taking notes. John greets a man at the bottom of the stairs, an Asian-American in his late twenties who's also wearing a white lab coat. </p><p>Most of their impromptu tourists head for a table with eggs (one of them is twitching and Laura does <em> not  </em>want to know what else Hammond is cooking up in this lab) but something on the other side of the room catches her eye. </p><p>It's a tank, sitting on one of the long, pristine tables, and it's awfully large. She's seen some decent sized fish tanks in her life, and this one is by no means the biggest, but it's up there. It's gotta reach at least ten feet long, but she can't tell how deep or wide it is from her vantage point, so she gets closer. </p><p>The scientists pay her no mind, perhaps they're used to strangers barging in on their lab unannounced. She walks right up to the glass and finds out there isn't fish in this tank, there are turtles. It shouldn't seem like a big deal, she's been in the presence of turtles many times, but she doesn't recognize these. </p><p>"Oi," she says, whistling a curt note. A scientist with a pleasant smile turns to look at her, Laura jerks her head, <em> get over here.  </em></p><p>He walks over, a clipboard in hand. "Yes?" </p><p>"What species of turtle is that? I'm not familiar." </p><p>He chuckles and she finds it awfully condescending. "Well, I'm not surprised, it's an Archelon." </p><p>"A <em> what?"  </em>She asks incredulously because she's no expert on dinosaurs, but there were a few classes in college that taught her a thing or two. </p><p>Archelon was- in short- a giant turtle, living roughly 65 million years ago. It behaved mostly like modern-day turtles: only coming up on land to mates and lay eggs, and even it's diet was closely related. </p><p>The only problem is species like those are separated by millions of years. </p><p>Hammond has broken away from the eggs and noticed her interest, walking over with a grin. "Ah, yes, I was hoping you'd like them. Would you like to hold her?" </p><p>Laura starts. "Would I- what?" </p><p>Hammond, still grinning, gestures to the technician. He sets down his clipboard, grabs two pairs of gloves, and pulls one over his hands. He gives the others to her, and Laura hesitantly puts them on, still not quite wrapping her head around the whole situation. </p><p>"We have these gloves specifically for the Archelon infants. They've got an incredible beak, and we can't have our geneticists losing any fingers."</p><p>Oh yeah, that's comforting. </p><p>The geneticist lifts the lid on the tank and reaches in with his elbow high, rubber gloves. One of the three turtles swims close to his hand, and he gently wraps it around the shell, pulling it out. </p><p>"How old are they?" Laura asks as she's handed an <em> extinct  </em>turtle. She's about the size of her hand, with flippers only a little smaller than her middle finger and with a wickedly hooked beak that could already rip her finger off. </p><p>"These are only about a week, we've got a few four-year-olds that are reaching full-grown length and weight." </p><p>She stares open-mouthed as the turtle in her hands flaps its fins, wriggling its head. "Where are they?" </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sea Monsters of the Cretaceous Period: https://owlcation.com/stem/Sea-Monsters-Monsters-Of-The-Cretaceous</p><p>Next chapter will be from Alan's point of view, and yes, they'll have proper introductions too. They'll have plenty of time to talk while they're running from meat-eating dinosaurs :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Old Friends not Quite Forgotten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If you would've told Alan a day ago he would've been on an island filled with <em>real-life </em>dinosaurs, he probably would've laughed in your face and told you to get off his dig site. </p>
<p>And yet, here he is.</p>
<p>He's still trying to wrap his head around the fact Hammond can clone dinosaurs at will (as long as he finds the blood for them, that is) when their merry group of dumbstruck scientists is ushered back into the Jeeps. </p>
<p>Apparently, not only did Hammond breed Raptors and other land-based dinosaurs but oceanic ones too. As if this trip couldn't get any more mind-blowing. </p>
<p>He's also a bit distracted because the woman who slept on the ride there in the copter (he still doesn't know how she managed it) looks awfully familiar. Ellie catches him (attempting to) discreetly trying to figure out where he's seen her face before and nudges him with her elbow. She raises an eyebrow at him as they approach the island. "It's rude to stare at a sleeping person, Alan," she chastizes, but it's in a playful tone and he doesn't have time to explain he feels like he <em>knows </em>her. </p>
<p>Biological Oceanographer, is what she calls her job (the hell if he knows what that means) and at the time, he wonders why Hammond brought her along because she's no Palentoligist, or even in a field close to it. He doesn't know a Dr. Koli, and neither does Ellie (he asked in the Jeep later if the name sounded familiar) so he doesn't know why he's so hell-bent and finding out why he knows her. It'll bug him, he realizes, for the rest of the trip and he hates not knowing things. </p>
<p>Ellie catches him looking (again) during the tour. "You know, you could just ask for her name." She supplies as they're standing around the table with Raptor eggs. </p>
<p>Alan shrugs and looks over his shoulder, noticing the Doctor inspecting a tank with a few turtles swimming around. "It's nothing." </p>
<p>Ellie scoffs, watching Hammond walk over to Dr. Koli with a grin. "You keep staring, she's gonna notice eventually, I'll be surprised if she hasn't already." </p>
<p>He rolls his eyes and grudgingly agrees. He's about to follow through (why is his heart racing?) when Hammond says they're going for a short ride and not worry, they'll be back for lunch. </p>
<p>Or maybe <em>they </em>will be lunch, who knows. </p>
<p>Ellie grabs his arm and hulls him toward the front Jeep. Ian is on his way to join them, but she gives him a look that says '<em> not now'  </em>and so with his hands thrown up in the air in surrender, he's banished to the second car. </p>
<p>Dr. Koli looks pleased she doesn't have to sit with the grouchy lawyer and sends Malcolm a sympathetic smile as she passes. Hammond joins the two men, and Ellie takes the front seat, not-so-inconspicuously shoving Alan in the back with Dr. Koli. </p>
<p>They pull out onto the dirt road, headed off to God only knows where, and Alan hypes himself up silently, and over the roar of the Jeep's engine, he reaches a hand out. "I didn't catch your name," he starts, leaning forward. "Alan." </p>
<p>Dr. Koli turns to look at him and smiles, shaking his hand. "Laura," she responds, with a nod, and looks back out the window as the landscape flies by. </p>
<p><em> Great, well done,  </em> he groans.  <em> You got her to say one word.  </em></p>
<p>But <em>oh, God,  </em>her name sounds so familiar it hurts. And he thinks because he doesn't know many Laura's, and even fewer who are Doctors. So he thinks (he does too much of that, according to Ellie) and makes a list in his brain of groups of people he's met. No one at his dig site is a Laura, nor any of his interns, but that doesn't narrow the pool down by much. </p>
<p>College? No, well maybe. He had a few friends in college, and one of them was named Laura, but she had blonde hair and a different set to her face, she was also taller than this one and had an accent he placed as southern. Highschool? Definitely not. If he had minimal friends in college, he had even less in high school. That leaves countless times he's run into strangers at lectures and equally random places, and his time as a child. </p>
<p>Middle school? He's blocked most of that out, and he can't see why he'd be so intent on figuring out why he knows (and knows <em>well)  </em>a random stranger. So that leaves the beginning of grade-school, and when he dives back into memory lane he nearly falls out of his seat at the revelation. </p>
<p><em> Oh my God, Laura.  </em> The Laura he was friends with for years, the Laura he played dinosaurs with on the school lawn, the Laura he teased when they found a bug on her shirt, the Laura who declared she could swing higher and climb faster than him any day of the week, <em> that  </em>Laura. But he doesn't remember her last name, or if he ever knew it, but he does remember where they went to school. </p>
<p>He clears his throat and tries not to get his hopes too high. "So," he begins. "Where are you from?"</p>
<p>"Indiana," she replies and he refuses to acknowledge the way his heart sinks. "But I grew up all over the place, we moved around a lot." </p>
<p>She's about to turn away again to gaze at the plants as he tries to keep the conversation alive. "Like where?" Ellie snickers in front of him, and he (discreetly) kicks the back of her seat. </p>
<p>Laura's eyebrow raises just a bit, but she answers his question nonetheless. "Connecticut was the first place I remember, then New York, then Georgia, then Illinois, then Michigan, then Nebraska, then Utah." She finished with a huff, counting the states on her fingers. </p>
<p>Alan laughs (because what else is he supposed to do?) "I'm from Connecticut, what city?" </p>
<p>Laura smiles and turns fully toward him. "No way, that's awesome," she lets out as a chortle. "Mystic, I think. Small town, near the waterfront, you?" </p>
<p>His optimism rises and he adjusts his seating, trying not to look too eager. "Ashville Drive, just off of the road with the great ice-cream place." </p>
<p>In the future, he'll refuse to admit when she grinned with a sense of likeness his chest did a weird two-step. But it happens, whether he'll tell Ellie or not, and Laura laughs eyes alight. "The Caboose? Shut up, where did you go to school?" </p>
<p>"The Northview district, until I went to college." He doesn't have to ask where she went because she's laughing grinning again, and his own smile grows in turn. </p>
<p>The realization of who he is must hit her too because he sees it in the tilt of her head. "Oh, my God, Alan!" She points a finger at him, gripping onto the seatbelt she hasn't buckled yet. "You're Alan from grade school! Oh my God." </p>
<p>He laughs again because it's a treat to see her astounded by something other than dinosaurs, and he's happy because she <em>does </em>remember. "Hi," he says, which is probably the dumbest thing to say, but he can't think of anything else. </p>
<p>Laura throws her head back in laughter, and Ellie looks over her shoulder, grinning. "You two know each other?" She asks, and Alan nudges her seat with his knee. It only makes her snort, but he doesn't think Laura notices. </p>
<p>"How are you?" She says, swinging one leg up onto the seat between them. "It's been years." </p>
<p>He smiles, nodding. "Good, you're still into sharks, I see." </p>
<p>She laughs again, grinning from ear to ear, and brushes a lock of hair from her eyes. "And you're still burying dinosaurs. Or unburying them, I suppose." </p>
<p>"These ones aren't plastic." </p>
<p>"And a lot bigger?" </p>
<p>"Sometimes," he chuckles. " I didn't expect to see you here." </p>
<p>Laura laughs again (he could get used to that.) "Neither did I, but I didn't think we'd see dinosaurs, so here we are." Alan chuckles, and they fall silent for a while, both of them watching the terrain fly past and wondering what Hammond is taking them to see next. Laura starts up the conversation again (thank God, he's too nervous to do that again.) "So how did John rope you into this?" </p>
<p>Alan shrugs. "Offered to fund my next dig, you?" </p>
<p>She sniggers. "Paid for my next dive, I'm starting to think this is some kind of bribery." He laughs, and Ellie turns back to look at them again, raising an eyebrow. </p>
<p>They're both still smiling when the two cars pull up to a smaller facility, and Laura has thrown her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail in the wind of the open-topped Jeep. She's moved her sunglasses to the top of her head and teases him about the Indian Jones-style hat he's surprisingly fond of while they step out onto yet another dirt path. </p>
<p>Alan tells her later he wishes they would've stayed in the car. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Mystic, Connecticut is a real city, and though I haven't been, I liked the idea of growing up there: https://thisismystic.com/</p>
<p>Northview Elementary School is a real place, though the middle and high school versions are made up.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Definitely the Worst Part of the Bad Idea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Laura steps out of the car with high hopes, the first time she's done so on this island. Yeah, Hammond's got dinosaurs, but so far, none of them are horribly dangerous, and they seem well cared for and enclosed safely. And she's not here to critique safety measures or why he's cloning dinos. In the simplest of terms- she's here to look at fish and tell him if they're happy or not. </p>
<p>Although, she <em>is </em>beginning to wonder if Hammond really meant for her to examine fish and not some prehistoric fossil of a thing that should be long dead. </p>
<p>Alan, (Alan! From grade school! Her best friend of five years is here!) Ellie and the others follow Hammond, though she's the first one to match his pace. "When do you take the infants and put them with the adults?" She asks as they walk along a smaller path. Around them grows the jungle, but she can see the metallic glint of a fence through the foliage. "What are you feeding them? Do they have a distinct sleep pattern? What's their metabolism rate?" </p>
<p>Hammond chuckles at her questions, and she faintly hears Alan behind her snort. As if he wasn't nerding out about dinos twenty minutes ago. </p>
<p>They come up into a clearing on the coast. The jungle opens up onto a beach, and though most of it is uninhabited, there's a small facility to their right, on the border between sand and dirt. </p>
<p>The next thing she noticed is a circular frame in the water. It's huge, she can't estimate its size from where she's standing, but it's about two-thirds of the length of a football field. The frame sits on to the beaches edge, about five meters out of the water onto sand, and stands two feet taller than the biggest waves. </p>
<p>Hammond sees her gaze and his grin grows. "We haven't quite figured out a viewing point yet, our main focus was getting them to full-grown size alive." </p>
<p>Laura gestures to the pen. "How do you know they're in there, and not somewhere out there," she finishes, waving to the open ocean. </p>
<p>"Tracking devices, implanted harmlessly when they're born." She nods as they walk closer. "They spend most of their time on the sea bed, they're quite tame actually, but we haven't had anyone in the encloser yet. We were hoping you'd be the first." </p>
<p>Laura's neck might've cracked at the speed her head whips toward Hammond. It's just now that's she's putting together the fact there probably <em>isn't </em>any normal, present-day fish around here. Not any she's getting paid to study, anyway. When Hammond said 'exotic fish,' Laura is beginning to think he meant the prehistoric variety. </p>
<p>John is still looking at her from an answer when they reach the edge of the pen. The breeze and smell of the ocean are familiar, like coming home, and it brings a wave of nostalgia with it. "We have a full team ready for you if you'd like. They're professionally trained, years of fieldwork, almost as much as you, actually. We'll have a medical team standing by if anything goes horribly awry- which it won't," he adds hastily. </p>
<p>The rest of the group has fanned out, gazing out onto the open ocean and walking around the enclosure, trying to get a look at the massive turtles supposedly milling around beneath the surface. Laura sees a dark shape some twenty-feet off-shore, but she can't tell if it's an actual living thing or just her imagination. </p>
<p>"I want a full report on their behavioral patterns, and only one other diver, too many might spook them." She folds her arms, noticing John's beam. "Have they mated?" </p>
<p>He shakes his head. "No. Population control is a part of the park's safety measures, our geneticists came up with the idea." </p>
<p>Laura nods slowly. "Alright, whenever you want me to get started I'll-" It's not the mosquito that's been pestering her for the past five minutes that cuts her off, but a defining <em>roar </em>that echoes along the shore. </p>
<p>Everyone's head (even the eager lawyer) snaps toward the noise. It fades out over the sounds of the waves lapping against the sand. "The hell was that?" Laura asks hesitantly, not really sure if she <em>wants </em>to know what concoction of Hammond's it came from. </p>
<p>John stutters for an answer. "Oh, it's nothing, I'm sure it's all under control." </p>
<p>Which most definitely means whatever it is is <em>not </em>under control. </p>
<p>Laura locks eyes with Alan, and they reach a silent agreement to investigate. Dr. Sattler and Malcolm seem game enough, even without a verbal cue, the quartet of mildly concerned scientists half-walk, half-run along the beach. John can't run, not at his age, and the lawyer doesn't want to stand in the way of four, able-bodied scientists with enough curiosity to kill an entire town, so he remains behind with Hammond. </p>
<p>The roar comes again, this time it's louder, and her feet scramble for proper footing in the sand. Alan is right beside her, and when they come to an outcrop of rock that turns sharply to the right, they share another glace. <em>This is a horrible idea, </em>seems to be the shared conclusion, and they turn the corner. </p>
<p>Laura stops at what looms in front of her. </p>
<p>It's a dam, at the opening of a valley leading somewhere into the heart of the island. It made of concrete and towers above them by at least fifty feet. The landscape rises with it, and thankfully, there's a set of stairs to the right of the dam, and when the roar comes again, nearly bursting her eardrums, she knows she's in the right place. </p>
<p>"What the <em>hell </em>is Hammond keeping in here?" She wonders aloud, and as Alan comes to a stop next to her, he shakes his head in disbelief. Dr. Malcolm and Sattler stop behind them, huffing for breath. "Are you telling me," Malcolm pants. "That we have to climb those stairs too?" </p>
<p>Laura isn't waiting, adrenaline does funny things and she feels like she could run a marathon, even if it's up several flights of stairs. </p>
<p>"I'll go slow and make sure they've got orange slices at the top for you," she says with a grin. Alan snorts, and the pair of them walk forward to the impending doom of too many stairs. </p>
<p>Laura, as it turns out, was not ready to climb dozens upon dozens of stairs like she's running a race. Neither is Alan, and they agree about a third of the way up, that yes, they can take the rest of the stairs at a walking pace. And yes, they can take a break or two. </p>
<p>By the time they've reached the top, both of them are panting for breath (Laura <em>swears </em>she's in shape, but good <em>lord </em>those were a lot of stairs.) </p>
<p>"That," Alan huffs out. "I will not be doing that again." </p>
<p>Laura nods. "Agreed." </p>
<p>And now she can take in her surroundings, and she doesn't like them. </p>
<p>The dam not only serves as- well, a dam, but it seems to be a wall to a cage as well. The river, now at their height, stretches into the jungle, twisting and turning its way through the trees until she can see it no more. </p>
<p>There is another wall, Laura can't judge how far, but the distance between them is huge. On the edge of the dam (which is no bigger than a two-lane road) are metal railings with wire pulled between them. A sign hanging warns of more high-voltage. </p>
<p>They creep to the edge and Ian and Ellie finish their climb, huffing just as much as they were. Alan tilts his head, looking through the gaps of the wires and into the surface of the rippling, dark water. "I don't see anything," he mutters quietly. "You sure we're in the right place?" </p>
<p>But Laura's not paying attention, she doesn't even notice Hammond and the lawyer exit a lift built into the side of the dam (<em>how </em>did they not see that?) She's looking across the pool, where the edge of another concrete wall rises above the waves. A few workers are milling about, from this distance, she can't tell exactly what they're doing, but when one of them starts up a crane, turning the mechanical arm over the water, her eyebrows furrow together. </p>
<p>Alan notices. "<em>What </em>are they doing?" </p>
<p>Hooked onto the end of the crane is a <em>massive </em>shark. Laura has swum with many of them, the photographs she has in her stash are a testament to that, and the thrill of seeing one up close and in the wild never diminishes, but this one is dead.  It's a bull shark, at least, that's her educated guess from this far away, and how Hammond and his crew managed to get one is beyond her. Then again, with all the equipment here, they've got to have <em>something </em>useful. (It still doesn't explain why they have it.) </p>
<p>Her answer comes soon enough because a split-second before a giant <em>something </em>thunders out of the water, Laura realizes the shark is meant to be food. One of the top predators in the ocean is going to be fed to whatever is swimming below them. </p>
<p>Oh yeah, that's comforting. </p>
<p>The crew steps away from the edge of the wall with the shark still dangling above the surface of the rippling water. For a moment, nothing happens, and Laura thinks that whatever the hell is down there isn't hungry, but then the still waters break and out lunges a creature that looks almost like an alligator. A really, really, <em> really,  </em>big alligator. </p>
<p>It's got to be at least 20 feet, probably more because Laura can only see about half of the beast that snaps it's long, alligator-like jaws over the shark and swallows it whole. The crane buckles under the weight until the rope snaps and both creatures vanish under the waves. </p>
<p>Water sloshes up onto the top of the wall, soaking the front half of her shoes, but Laura's too busy mentally scanning through her repertoire of aquatic prehistoric animals. A Halisaurus? Too small, this was at least double the size. Elasmosaurus? No ridiculously long neck in sight and those don't eat whole sharks in one gulp. </p>
<p>"Do you like her?" Hammond asks from behind, and Laura spins on her heel to face him. "We've only got her, we figured we would tame the one and build a proper viewing point for the guests before we expand." </p>
<p>"What is it?" She asks, not quite sure she <em>wants </em>to know, but she's got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and an equally unpleasant guess in the back of her mind. </p>
<p>"A Mosasaur," he replies with a smile, and Laura thinks she might throw up. "One of our big main attractions in the future, along with the T-Rex." Oh, this just keeps getting better and better. </p>
<p>"Are you insane?" She hisses as the others crane their heads for a fleeting glimpse of the monster. </p>
<p>He gives her a weird look of disbelief. "I don't know what you mean, it's perfectly-" </p>
<p>Laura cuts him off. "That thing down there used to be one of the top- if not the biggest predator in the ocean during it's time. It hunted, that's what it was built for, and now you have it stored in a cage. You're giving it a set of rules to live by when it's gut instinct doesn't know what that word <em>means</em>. You're practically feeding it by hand, it's not a puppy dog!" </p>
<p>Hammond seems shocked out her outburst, and their company is beginning to notice their minor skirmish. They start to walk over with solemn faces. "That thing is a killing machine, that's all it knows, that's all it will ever know, and that's all it can know. You can't train that instinct out of it, no amount of hand-feeding or human interaction will do that, all it thinks about us is which one will be her next meal." </p>
<p>Hammond stutters for a rebuttal. "Y-you seemed alright with the Giant Turtle." </p>
<p>Laura throws up her hands and Ian sighs behind her, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is completely different! The Archelon is an herbivore, it's not a deadly killer that posses a threat to humanity! That doesn't mean having it is okay, these things- both of them- lived millions of years ago in a completely different ecosystem than what we have today. Their normal food source doesn't exist." </p>
<p>Hammond puts a hand up in surrender, leaning on his cane and giving a weary, hesitant smile. "How about we talk about this over lunch?" </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sea monsters of the Cretaceous Period: https://owlcation.com/stem/Sea-Monsters-Monsters-Of-The-Cretaceous</p>
<p>Read more about Bull Sharks: https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Fish/Bull-Shark</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Eating Lunch After Almost Being Lunch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Jeep ride back to the Visitor Center passes in silence, and it's not the comfortable kind. </p><p>Everyone walks their way back to the cars they rode to the beach in, and Laura empties the sand from her hikers out the side of the Jeep as they pull down the dirt road. </p><p>Alan sits next to her, wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his flannel and a contemplative look on his face. He doesn't ask for her input on the situation, and she doesn't give it. The three of them fade into various states of deep thought over the twenty-minute drive and when they pull back up to the main compound, Laura has to shake Alan out of his thoughts. "We're here," she whispers, as though she's waking him from a nap. </p><p>He jerks up, his glazed-over eyes focusing back on her. Alan nods, opening his own door and hoping out, Ellie following. Ian walks over from his Jeep, his face pulled into some sort of solemn expression like he's preaching a sensitive topic to a sanctuary full of people. </p><p>Hammond and the lawyer take the lead, weaving through construction equipment and workers, all the while chatting about the park and prices. The four scientists listen in silence, Laura has a feeling they're all thinking relatively the same thing: 'this is a horrible idea.' John files them into a room with a large buffet table, a place set for each of them. The room is darkened, a projector on the ceiling throws a slideshow of glowing images on the walls. There's a dim voice-over of John, explaining different aspects of the park, and Laura watches as an image of the beach flicks on, then off again. </p><p>Hammond gestures for all of them to sit, Laura takes the seat next to Alan with Ellie on his other side. Ian sits across from them, the lawyer, and John to his right. </p><p>A man in a suit and tie walks in with a cart, placing a plate of food before each of them before wheeling it out the way he came. "Alejandro makes a wonderful Chilean sea bass," John says, smiling and picking up his fork and knife. He gestures for the rest of them to do the same, and with a wavering smile, Laura takes a bite. </p><p>It's good, probably a lot better than most of the food she has, but it's all overshadowed by the thought that this park is a horrible idea, and people are in danger. </p><p>Alan seems to have the same train of thought because all he does is pick at his food, she sees him swallow maybe two mouthfuls. Hammond and the lawyer (Donald, he calls him. She makes a mental note) take prices and other attractions that are in the works. Hammond says something about- through all revenue streams- the park should make eight to nine billion dollars a year and Laura chokes on her fish. </p><p>Alan looks over at her, raising an eyebrow that seems to say 'yeah, I heard it too' and he nudges her water glass closer. Donald and John are still talking about money when Ian pipes up and says, "the lack of humility before nature that's been displayed here staggers me." Laura silently thanks him and sends him a teeny smile from across the table. He winks back. </p><p>Donald scoffs, as though this is the most preposterous thing he's ever heard. "Thank you, Dr. Malcolm, but I think things are a little different than you and I feared." </p><p>"Yes, I know. They're a lot worse." </p><p>The lawyer looks aghast. "Now, wait a second, we haven't even seen the park yet. Let's hold out concerns until-" </p><p>John interrupts. "That's alright Donald, let him talk. I want to hear all viewpoints." Donald raises an eyebrow. "Truly I do." </p><p>And on they go. Ian points out (several times, in several different ways) how bad of an idea this is, and how his scientists have too much power. Hammond argues this park is a discovery, it should be cherished, credit given where credit is due. "Why not give extinct species a chance?" He argues, throwing in a pleading tone with an empathetic face, and Laura feels a twinge of sympathy. It vanishes as Alan and Ellie join in, taking Ian's side, and Laura feels comforted that yes, this is the right mindset, this park is dangerous, and she has chosen the right side. </p><p>A small part of her brain reminds her of the 100,000 dollar check with her name on it, and she speaks up to give herself something different to think about. </p><p>"I have a question," she interrupts, and the arguing scientists stop for a moment. Laura folds her finger together under her chin. "Your Mosasaur, when did you breed it?" </p><p>Hammond shrugs, "If I recall correctly, about four years ago, why?" </p><p>Laura nods slowly, considering the data. "By all accounts, Mosasaurus' reached up to fifty feet fully grown, and that's being generous. Average would've been about 30 feet, your's is a juvenile and it's reached that mile-marker. What I want to know is how you got a juvenile- a four-year-old to be the size of an adult?" </p><p>Malcolm swings his head toward Hammond. "What did you do, give it steroids? A protein shake?" </p><p>Alan looks at her from her right, dropping his fork, clearly done with trying to eat. Laura does the same as Hammond and Malcolm argue about giving steroids to prehistoric sea monsters.  </p><p>Doctor Sattler puts her head in her hands, sighing, and takes a large swig of water. </p><p>"As if this wasn't a bad enough idea," Alan whispers, raising an eyebrow. </p><p>"It just makes you think," Laura replies, equally as quiet as Ian and John continue to argue, Donald now jumping in to the old man's defense. "What else has Hammond got in here that he's genetically modified beyond necessity?" </p><p>Something changes in Alan's eyes, maybe the thought process he's going through, and Laura can feel herself doing the same. <em>We should leave, </em>she thinks, <em>before things start getting out of hand.  </em></p><p>"Mr. Hammond," she calls out, and it takes a minute for him to turn to her, he's still making his case, as though there's any way to change Malcolm's mind. "I commend you for your creativity and dedication. It's truly a tremendous feat, but what happens when something goes wrong?"</p><p>The old man scoffs, as though the idea is completely preposterous. Laura supposes in his mind, it is. "We've taken every precaution, you've seen the tank, three separate walls of concrete and metal, and an emergency wire net to boot. There is nowhere else in the world more equipped to hold it." </p><p>"That's all well and dandy," she counters tearing her eyes from Alan. "But we have to consider the possibility. If something- say your Triceratops- breaks loose, it's not the end of the world, it's still contained. There's a few hundred miles of ocean separating it and the mainland. If that Mosasaur gets out, that thing you've created is going wreak havoc on the ecosystem, nothing is stopping it, or your other aquatic experiments, from greeting the new world with sharpened teeth." </p><p>Hammond sputters, looking more angry and flustered by the minute, and Laura's internal sense of worry grows. Alan must feel the room's atmosphere too, because, under the table, he nudges her gently with his foot, a comforting gesture. Laura nudges him back as one of the waiters appears from the corner of the room and walks over to Hammond. </p><p>He whispers something in his ear, Hammond nods and thanks him. The waiter walks away and Hammond smooths down his shirt, trying to calm himself. "Well, I hate to cut this very informative conversation short-" Laura has a feeling he's lying. "But they're here." </p><p>Alan does a double-take, Laura has to hide her own surprise. "Who?" He asks.</p><p>Hammond smiles, genuinely smiles, not the twisted kind like he's hiding something. He stands from his chair, gesturing from the waiters to clear the table, and the rest of them stand as well. "The grandchildren," he answers, and both Ellie and Ian choke on the water. "You should have a little company in the park, spend a little time with our target audience, maybe they'll help you get the spirit of the place." He finishes, maybe a little bitterness creeping into his voice. </p><p>"You invited <em>kids? </em>"Ian asks incredulously, and even Alan looks shocked. </p><p>"It's perfectly safe," Hammond says, opening the door and walking through. He doesn't tell them to follow, but Laura knows this is a sign of dismissal. "They'll be in good hands." </p><p>All Laura can think about, however, is how she's going to keep track of herself, dozens of dinosaurs, and kids to boot. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry it's been a while since I've updated this one, move-in week was chaos and my dorm room has been at a steady 95 degree, it's great (please send help XD)</p><p>Thank you so much for the hits and kudos, makes me smile everytime &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The history of SCUBA Diving: https://www.scubadiving-phuket.com/history-scuba-diving/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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